Disclosure: Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. Please help support wolfcrow and buy from B&H and Amazon. It won’t cost you anything extra.

Disclaimer: Unless specified explicitly, no sponsored or free gear was used in this review, and nor was the reviewer paid or compensated for in any manner, monetary or otherwise. Mistakes, errors of omission and biases will clearly creep into this review, and any generalizations made is personal opinion derived from the review of the specific gear(s) and model(s) used. Manufacturer tolerances are poor, even for well-known brands, and your mileage may vary. Do not make any decisions or purchases based on this review. You are responsible for your own actions. For a detailed understanding of the wolfcrow review framework, ratings, etc., click here.

Review rating: ***

List of sponsored/free gear:NoneDid I get paid for this review?No

This is the complete and comprehensive real-world review of the Panasonic GH5 (B&H, Amazon) camera for video production. We will also compare it to the Sony a7S II (B&H, Amazon) to see which one’s the best option for video work.

Goals

In a nutshell:

The Panasonic GH5 is a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera that shoots 20 MP stills and compressed 4K video, and surprisingly does both well. This camera is a landmark camera because it offers features never before seen in this price range:

10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording

4K @ 60 fps

4:3 anamorphic mode, and probably a 6K version as well in the future

400 Mbps internal intraframe codec (coming in a firmware update)

Before reading and watching the review, it is important to first understand the major goals for this review:

Is the GH5 a good upgrade for those coming from another platform?

If you currently own a GH4, should you upgrade to the GH5?

If you’re shooting video, is the a7S II better than the GH5 for the higher price?

For video shooters, I’ll try to assess and give my thoughts on what projects the a7S II is suited for:

Features films

Short films

Corporate videos

Documentaries – feature length

Documentaries – short length

Wedding videos

Music videos

Commercials

Sports

Wildlife

ENG/EFP

Live events

We will also look into whether or not it’s wise to invest in a Panasonic system at all, what lenses to pick, ergonomics, ISO performance, rolling shutter, and finally, which setting works best – V-Log or another Photo Style.

Why did I buy the Panasonic GH5?

I bought the Panasonic GH5 (B&H, Amazon) for the following specific scenarios and conditions:

Summary and Notes

The following is a summary of whatever I’ve covered above:

About log shooting

I hate to break it to you, but log is not easy. In fact, there are three ways to shoot video: RAW, log and baked-in (Rec. 709 or some other preset, but finished), and log is the hardest to understand and expose.

Currently if you record log internally you’ll find a lot of macro blocking and artifacts when you apply LUTs. Stay tuned for my V-Log guide, coming in a few days.

About using LUTs

LUTs have their place, but it’s not a magic bullet. In fact, it’s like the drug that cures one thing, but with devastating side effects. I’m not a big fan of LUTs, but if you’re interested in it here’s a comparison I’d made earlier of Film Emulation LUTs – Filmconvert vs Magic Bullet Film vs Juan Malera’s free LUTs:

Audio quality

Really good and clean. Reference audio from the internal microphone is useful.

Rolling shutter

It is noticeably better than the a7S II. No issues here.

Resolution – UHD vs 4K, which to pick?

Both are equally good. I’ve tested both and here’s a blind test for you. One is C4K and the other is UHD uprezzed to match. Can you tell which is which (right-click for full-rez version)?

Bottom line? It doesn’t matter. Nobody can tell.

VFR (Variable Frame Rate)

VFR mode allows you to shoot up to 180 fps in 1080p. As you can see from the video, it works beautifully.

HDMI quality and options

Clean HDMI, full resolution, and you can dual record 4K to both external recorder and internally at the same time. However, if you’re recording 4K 60p externally in 4:2:2, then you can only record 8-bit internally.

Weather protection and toughness

It is weather-proof and tough. I’ve put it under the shower, literally.

Manual Focusing

Excellent in both video and stills mode. Focus peaking works great. When you punch in too much the image loses sharpness, and it’s impossible to tell if something is in focus. The same applies for low light situations as well. The EVF isn’t very useful here.

Aliasing and moire

None. This is a true 1:1 sensor readout, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Lenses

In my preliminary guide I’ve gone through the options. Check it out [XX

Skin tones

Excellent. Filmic and organic, but you must know how to shoot and expose correctly. Otherwise you’re going to see ugly noise.

Battery life

Great battery life. I consistently get about 4 hours of normal usage (which includes on-off, doing other stuff, etc.). However, depending on what you’re doing your results might be lower.

I think if you have four batteries you are set. Since Panasonic India couldn’t ship me batteries I ordered Wasabi batteries, and they work great. [XX They are interchangeable so no complaints!

AF with video

I don’t use it and I don’t recommend using it. It is useful for YouTubers like myself but other than that I really can’t rely on it.

Dynamic Range

I get a good usable 12 stops and that’s all I want. Here’s a comparison of the dynamic range between the GH5 and the a7S II, first under normal exposure (exposed for 41-42 IRE middle grey, right-click for full resolution):

The one on the bottom is the GH5. Don’t worry about the warp or the vignette in the top left corner, that’s the lens I’m using. To my eye the GH5 has better colors overall. However, the a7S II has slightly more dynamic range in the highlights.

Now here’s the second test underexposed by four stops (not changed the ISO, only shutter speed):

In this case the GH5 is on top and you can clearly see it has better colors, even though the a7S II holds better in the shadows. This is a special feature of S-Log3, though deceiving.

If I had to make a call, I’d say the a7S II has a hair more DR, maybe half a stop more. However, the poor compression on the a7S II will probably make that worthless when the 400 Mbps firmware update arrives. And the colors on the GH5 are better, so we’re about even all said and done.

None whatsoever, even at 40 degrees Celsius under continuous operation. However, you might see overheating when continuously recording for long.

Image stabilization

The camera has internal 5-axis image stabilization that works best with Panasonic lenses. When you mount third-party lenses, you have to manually input the focal length so the camera can shift accordingly.

Both work equally well, and if you’re standing still and just panning, tilting or trying to keep the shot steady, it’s great.

However, if you’re walking, or are moving, it will not replace a gimbal or steadicam. It’s better than nothing, but don’t expect miracles.

Panasonic GH5 or Sony a7S II?

This is probably the most important comparison of this review.

Here’s what the a7S II adds:

Low light performance. The king.

The full-frame look.

Slightly more dynamic range.

Frame markers for 1.85:1 and 2.35:1

Here’s where the a7S II screws up:

Native ISO of 1600 in S-Log3

Poor exposure tools, the Gamut Assist Feature is crap and inaccurate

Heavy compression reduces potential of the camera to a great degree

Poor battery life

Here’s what the GH5 adds:

Better grip and handling

Tougher weather-sealed body

Better EVF experience

Varicam LUTs (accurate!) for V-Log

Better HFR mode, with 180 fps in 1080p and 60 fps in 4K

Both C4K (4096) and UHD

Future 400 Mbps Intraframe codec!

Full HDMI Type-A connector

Dual SD Cards

Better Internal image stabilization

A minimum ISO of 400 for log

Better rolling shutter

Much better battery life

Continuous recording without overheating

LCD can swivel and tilt

Easier menu!

Waveform and vectorscope internally

Verdict: Do I need to spell it out? The Panasonic GH5 (B&H, Amazon) wins by a mile.

What kind of productions can the Panasonic GH5 be used for?

Here are my suggestions for video, based on my personal knowledge, history and usage of this camera:

The bottom line

There is no other camera in this price range that gives you the video tools you need in such a great package. It’s really a joy to shoot, with excellent color and image quality.

Let’s answer our questions:

Is the GH5 a good upgrade for those coming from another platform? Yes, as long as you can utilize these new features, are willing to learn to get better image quality, and get paid for it.

If you currently own the GH4, should you upgrade to the GH5? Yes, as long as the price difference will put food and an extra bottle of your favorite beverage on your table. I hate to break it to you, if you couldn’t do much with the GH4, you’ll most likely get the same results with the GH5.

GH5 or a7S II? GH5! Except for extremely low light work, like wildlife, the GH5 wins in just about every other category. Mind you, if you want the full frame look, and know what that means, then your choice is cut and dried.

All said and done, the GH5 (B&H, Amazon) is a winner. My only wish is Panasonic gives us the 400 Mbps firmware update and makes sure it is great quality, no compromises. Give us the best this camera has got. And please improve your service!

That’s all for my review of the GH5 (B&H, Amazon). I hope you found it useful.

Comments

Hi Sareesh, i’m shooting weddings and short films for now (planning to shoot more online contents like web series and docs), and im currently shooting with a sony a6000. My question is should i upgrade to the a63/6500/a7 series or should i jump to the gh5?

I am pursuing cinematography course, I am looking for a camera by which I could shoot documentaries and still images for my projects. I had shortlisted gh5 and a7r ii, after seeing your review I got a quite confident that gh5 will be great for my documentary shoots, but my doubt is whether the gh5 performs well for photography(street photography) as well?

Thanks so much for the review but I didn’t see any mention of bit rate. Wouldn’t the GH5 higher bit rate for use in feature films leave the sony a7sii out of the running altogether? I own the a7sii and am considering the GH5 for feature films for gimbal use as I had discounted the Sony a7sii because of it’s lower bit rate?
Kind regards
Allan

You’re welcome. A lot of people would consider neither as suitable cameras for feature film work. They’d use Red or Alexa Mini’s on gimbals. If you’re not color grading you can “get away” with either camera.

I worry I have made a mistake in buying an a6500 (which is on the way to me). Maybe you can help me out, since I trust you more than most other reviewers.

I use my cameras for 85% stills photography and 15% video, and I primarily shoot real estate. So I primarily need a high dynamic range and good performance in shadows. If I am shooting video, I might have to film regularly at ISO 1600 to ISO 5000, and often under mixed lighting (daylight, fluorescent and tungsten). Because I often have to shoot quickly, I won’t have the time to set up lighting.

If the GH5 performs very well compared to the a7S II, then won’t it almost certainly be as good or better than the a6500 in terms of dynamic range and shadows?

And do you have any thoughts on the stills performance when shooting RAW on the GH5? Because the overwhelming majority of my work is shooting STILLS and not video, but I hope to grow my video business over the next year.

You’re welcome. I would get an a7S (if 1080p is good enough) or a7S II (for 4K) and some tilt-shift lenses for real estate work. If you can afford it, probably the a7R II is the most apt for your work, though.

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, click here.